The Last Class of Garreg Mach
by Cheezlover21
Summary: Leonie Pinelli has always idolized the Blade Breaker, Jeralt. When they meet again by chance, she learns he has a daughter. Leonie must decide to blindly follow Byleth down a dark path for the sake of a promise or to stand for the same ideals Jeralt did. Some important Spoilers, but overall the plot is set to be an "alternate" path. [story on hiatus due to working amid pandemic]
1. Introductions

"P-please Professor..." The voice underneath gasped weakly, "This isn't you... Stop this... Please-AGHH!!". The blade embedded in their chest jerked, and with a final desperate struggle for breath, followed by a short blood-filled cough, the voice went silent.

Slowly rising to a stand, cries of battle all around, Byleth surveyed the grisly scene. She found herself short on breath from the whole affair, taking note of her injuries. Pain shot from her side, flecks of blood covered her armour. The fighting was fierce, but it was clear her forces were prevailing. It wasn't over. So many more people stood between her and the new world she would create. For too long, she was bound to everyone else's designs. Now, with the limitless potential of the progenitor god, her will would dominate all.

**One Year Ago**

Leonie wasn't dreaming for once. She'd tried pinching herself, but this time it was real. She was here. Garreg Mach Monastery. It had taken nearly everything she and her village had to send her here, and she hated it, but once she graduated from the Officer's Academy and found employment as a mercenary, she would pay all her debts. It would take time and heaps upon heaps of hard work and dedication, but she would achieve her goal; to become a legendary mercenary like the man who saved her village, Captain Jeralt Eisner. Just thinking of him, Leonie felt her resolve to succeed strengthen. She had not seen or heard from the Captain for many years, but the effect he and his band of mercenaries had on her was monumental. She had learned the bow and how to be a capable hunter from her father, but it was the Captain that gave her the passion for tactics, strategy and training routines.

Finished unpacking and feeling restless, Leonie decided to get a head start on training by taking a jog around the Monastery grounds. She burst out of her room and was just about to begin her run when two mountains of books walked into the room adjacent to hers. "These sure are heavy miss, " squeaked out a small voice from beneath a quaking stack of books. "Is it all right if I just put them down now?" Leonie's curiosity in her new neighbour stoked, she leaned around the doorframe and looked in. "Yes, yes, Cyril. Anywhere is fine for now, " came the reply from the other carrier of books. It was a girl's young-sounding voice, one which Leonie detected carried slight annoyance for the boy she referred to as Cyril. " take care when you drop them, there are many delicate scripts in your stack. Losing even one of them to your carelessness would set my studies back weeks, maybe even months!"

The tan-skinned boy bent his knees and set the pile down near the girl's bed. A few leather-bound tomes tumbled over onto the ground, earning him a harsh glare from the girl, whose armload of literature was already neatly arranged on some hanging shelves. Before the girl could say a word, Cyril muttered something about a person named "_Rhea," _having some work for him, and he rushed off.

Alone with the girl, Leonie stepped through the door and was about to introduce herself when she saw her new neighbour for the first time. The most striking feature about her was her hair. It was devoid of all pigment, pure stunning white. The second most notable feature was her stature. She barely reached five feet high, Leonie estimated. "Well? Get on with it." The pale-haired lass ordered, already vexed by the intrusion. "Oh, I'm sorry for bothering you. My name is Leonie, Leonie Pinelli. I just figured I'd come on over and introduce myself since we're neighbours and all." Smiling, Leonie held out her hand in greeting, and reluctantly the girl returned the handshake. "And I am Lysithea von Ordelia, and far busier than you seem to be capable of noticing." Looking around the room, Leonie saw that, aside from the mountainous piles of books, Lysithea had very little in the way of possessions, much like her. She would have to get to know Lysithea better once the timing was better. With an acknowledging nod, she excused herself and shut the door to Lysithea's room behind her.

As Leonie left and began her jog around the grounds, behind Lysithea's closed door, the pale-haired girl allowed a few stray tears to run down her cheeks. She had told herself that she would be okay away from her family and that her going away would be the best thing for them. But this year of schooling would be the most difficult of her life. Most everyone here was studying for their future, and here she was studying because she didn't have one. But why should she waste time feeling sorry for herself if her days were numbered? Wiping her tears, the small girl searched her belongings for the little piece of the cake her mother had sent with her. And after one colossal bite, Lysithea von Ordelia smiled.


	2. Captain Jeralt

All he could think about was that he hadn't run nearly far enough away.

The sound of the clanking metal armour of the knights on his left, the nonstop chatter and joke-cracking on his right was all too familiar to Jeralt. He solemnly wished he could've forgotten all about it.

Captain Jeralt, of the Knights of Seiros; how unused to that name he had become! Yet now his former squire, Alois, was addressing him as he used to so many years ago. "And you wouldn't believe how many students these days have no sense of humour, Captain! I've practiced my material into the wee hours of the morning some days, and I'm lucky to get any reaction from the youngsters! It's as if they pretend they can't hear me! Imagine that, eh, Captain? Huh? Captain? Captain Jeralt?"

hearing his name snapped Jeralt from the memories he was reliving. "What was that, Alois?" The boisterous knight looked heartbroken. "Not you too, Captain!"

Alois. Even in a thousand years, Jeralt would've been unable to forget the big-hearted, loud spoken man. He had, at one time, thought of him as a son. Seeing him, now a grown man further reminded Jeralt of all the time they had spent together in the Knights of Seiros. "Sorry about that. I'm just thinking back to old times, " the grizzled mercenary explained," And what are the odds we'd meet again because of a bandit attack?" A warm smile spread across the face of Alois, an expression that suited him perfectly. "I have to say; it does seem almost too coincidental. But I'm delighted that after all these years, the first thing you do is lend your help to those in trouble. It's just like it always was, Captain."

Jeralt couldn't help but wonder if he made the right choice in helping out the three students. Not only did he risk being recognized (as had indeed happened, ) but it had put his daughter into a dangerous situation. When that bandit leader had rushed the female student, and his daughter stepped in to help, all of Jeralt's fears of losing his daughter came close to happening. Thankfully, his training had kept her alert enough to parry the blow, but it was far too close a call. His daughter was his greatest joy, the only living memory of his beloved wife. Though her upbringing was, admittedly sheltered, he had done his damnedest to make sure she could defend herself. Loath as he was to admit, fighting was his life, and with danger ever-present, his attempts to keep his little girl away from anything hazardous proved difficult. And now, unintended circumstances had them both going back to the place he had never hoped to see again; Garreg Mach Monastery.

Discontent with being quiet, Alois spoke up again, this time addressing the three students they were escorting. "Now, I know what just took place was a tad frightening, but you have nothing more to fear! Captain Jeralt and I have got everything under control. However, if you need any emotional counselling, well, I'm not qualified for that, but I do know some good jokes that'll cheer you right up!"

"I'm afraid that if I hear any more of your brand of humour, I might actually need the counselling." the dark-haired boy among the students heckled playfully. "No need to be so blunt about things, Claude, " said the only girl out of the three, Edelgard von Hresvelg. Her white hair and piercing lavender eyes set her apart physically, but the authority in her voice further established her uniqueness. "However, I can't lie, Alois. Your humour is an acquired taste."

The last boy stayed silent, but he carried a weighty gaze that Jeralt had seen only a handful of times, and only on the faces of those who had suffered terribly. But in an instant, the regal-looking blonde brightened up and replied to Alois' offer with a nod, and a promise to take him up on his offer should the need arise. Claude von Riegen, the tan-skinned smirking smooth talker, brushed up against Jeralt's daughter and questioned her about her name and age. Jeralt sheepishly turned away when his daughter, Byleth, answered with her name and informed the boy that she had no idea what age she was. He had stopped counting his years after 100, and it never seemed important enough to keep an account of Byleth's either. Now all three of the students became curious about their reserved rescuer, and Byleth stared blankly as each, in turn, asked how it was she didn't know her age. She opened her mouth, but before any words came out, her father jumped in.

"Mercenary lifestyle doesn't leave much time to keep track of things like age. It's a busy life, and keeping one's head on one's shoulders takes priority over keeping track of how many years you've managed to keep one's head attached. " The answer didn't settle any of their curious minds, but they each took note of Jeralt's wariness of their probing, and spoke no more. Claude especially noticed, which just made him more interested than ever in the mercenary girl. The blonde boy, Dimitri, diverted the conversation to other topics and so Jeralt reluctantly turned his attention back towards the convoy's road ahead. His attentive eyes were scanning the forest on either side, and he mentally prepared himself for the possibility of another bandit ambush. Byleth kept mostly to herself, unused to being chatted with, and spent the rest of the trek to their destination listening to each student talk, and observing what she could about their character. The day had been full of more excitement than she was used to, and it all started with her strange dream about the green-haired girl on the throne. The same girl that appeared to her when she had jumped in front of an axe swing meant for Edelgard. The same girl that had the power to reverse the hands of time and fate; The girl called Sothis.


	3. The Masked Professor

Everyone was buzzing with news from outside the monastery. A Gatekeeper had reported the word given from a messenger sent ahead of the convoy. There had been a bandit ambush, and a mercenary saved the three house leaders of the Officer's Academy. Leonie's heart skipped a beat. She dared not ask more. "There are hundreds of mercenaries all over Fodlan; don't get your hopes up. You'll only be disappointed," she told herself. The other students were gathering outside the dorms and discussing it all. Rumours flew, and some claimed the teacher sent as an escort had lost their life saving the students. Others argued that the teacher accompanying the three had run off and abandoned them at the first sign of trouble. Still, the idea that a mercenary was responsible for saving their leaders was the most discussed topic. A tall, imposing raven-haired young man dismissed the whole story as impossible. "Lady Edelgard, of the Black Eagle house, is more than capable of defending herself from mere bandits," he claimed. When he spoke, Leonie felt a shiver run down her spine. His voice dripped malicious intent and unspoken threats. "And I would like to talk privately with anyone who thinks otherwise and would waste their time spreading falsehoods." Well, that last part was a clear threat. Leonie decided that she was glad to be in a different house than this character.

The leader of her house, a _Claude von Riegen,_ was among the three students being escorted back to the Monastery. She didn't know much about this Claude fellow. Few people knew about him, even among their house- the Golden Deer. When the advisor to the Archbishop came around and made sure everyone was settled in properly, Leonie had learned that her neighbour, Lysithea, was also from the Leicester Alliance, and so they would be in the same house together.

Now that the students had gathered to discuss the news, Leonie had her first real look at her fellow students. She wondered how many of them were from noble houses. There would be many as the Officer's Academy was, from its inception, founded to teach the art of warfare to the heirs of Fodlan's royalty and nobility.

"Pardon me, miss; I believe I have not had the pleasure of making your acquaintance." a voice behind her said, in a tone of voice that Leonie thought sounded rather prideful. She swivelled around hastily and accidentally swatted aside the boy's hand.

"Oops, sorry bout that. Didn't see you there, " Leonie offered a weak smile in response. "You startled me is all."

The young man, ruffled by the momentary loss of etiquette, held out his hand for hers once again. Puzzled, Leonie raised an eyebrow, and her inaction immediately prompted a question.

"From which line of nobility are you descended from, that you do not return a common gesture of greeting?"

"Oh, I'm not actually- a member of the nobility that is. The name's Leonie Pinelli. I'm from Sauin Village in the Leicester Alliance."

"Oh. Pardon my rudeness, but I must see to other affairs. Nice to meet you."

And without another word, the young man strolled past her and stopped to introduce himself to another girl, complimenting her complexion and hairstyle. Leonie rightly passed it off as nobles being nobles. They only ever seemed to care about themselves and lording over "simple-minded commoners" like her. She didn't take too much offence from the exchange. If she were to survive the whole semester, she would need to coexist with stuck up nobles and the like.

"I've had it with just standing around! I need to hit something; who's game?" a lively boy's voice shouted above the whispers and gossip all around him. The crowd of chatting students parted before him as a short boy with vibrant light-blue hair marched forward; chest puffed out in an attempt to appear more robust than he probably was. A handful of faces in the crowd seemed to agree with his idea and stepped forward. Among them, a heavy-set muscular boy with a mop of blonde hair, a solemn-faced boy with a cold stare and lastly, Leonie herself stepped forward. She had gone on longer than she liked without training, and this would be a great way to pass the time.

The four students marched; rather, they ran full-speed towards the gated training grounds, each confident they would win the unofficial race to see who would arrive first. The boy who had suggested the whole thing was falling behind but undaunted, his shorter legs kicking up a vicious cloud of dust in his wake. Leonie was sprinting alongside the other two, and the breakneck pace they were each racing at led to the bulkier student to miss a step, and he was instantly sent tumbling to a rolling stop with his face planted square in the dirt. Confident, but winded, Leonie could feel the muscles in her legs aching-but there! Just a few more meters to the gate. She would settle only this once for tying with the fleet-footed boy sprinting beside her. Without warning, the boy next to her came to a screeching halt. Glancing in his direction, Leonie saw nothing. Not a second later, confused, she ran headlong into a man who had just come from within the training grounds. The collision was comparable to throwing a pebble at a solid wall. Having collapsed in a heap, Leonie could feel her head spinning as she stood herself upon her wavering legs. The man she had run into was tall, sturdy, and he wore a mysterious mask that covered most of his face.

"And where are you going in such a rush?" spoke the masked man. His words came slowly, calmly and devoid of any emotion. Leonie coughed, then replied, panting for breath in between words.

"Race*huff huff* training grounds *huff puff* to spar *huff*."

"Students wishing to spar must be supervised by a member of the faculty."

The shorter boy had caught up with her, as had the other boy with the sour look. The ruddy blonde was nowhere in sight. Full of excitement and pumped up from the sprint, the blue-haired youth (Leonie would later learn his name was Caspar) whined aloud;

"Hey, come on, big spooky guy, let us in! We just ran all the way here to get a chance to beat the crap out of each other, and nothing's going to stop us!"

Glaring at Caspar, slowly, the masked man pushed open the gate door but addressed the three students in a gravely severe tone.

"I'm Professor Jeritza, and you will be more respectful when addressing me from now on. Just this once will I allow you to use these grounds, but your sparring partner will be myself."

Caspar looked delighted, while Leonie and the other boy felt deep unease at his suggestion.

"This is absurd. Do you expect to test each individually? We came here to pass the time while our house leaders take their sweet time arriving. I've no desire to sit around watching these whelps fail against your might." grumbled the serious boy who had not spoken until now. How rude of him to talk about them like that, thought Leonie.

"No," started Professor Jeritza. "I expect the three of you to spar with me all at once."

Leonie felt a surge of confidence flow, and with raised eyebrows, turned to Jeritza.

"I'm satisfied with that. You look pretty strong. But, are you completely sure that it'll be a fair fight? Three of us against one of you?"

"Unfortunately, no, but I hope you'll put up enough of a fight regardless."


	4. First Duel at the Training Grounds

*****THWACK!*

The sound of solid wood hitting solid wood reverberated in the spacious arena of the training grounds. Jeritza's training blade pressed down against the shaft of Leonie's lance. She gritted her teeth, her whole body tensing as she braced the attack and tried to muster enough force to push him back. Her opening to strike came when Caspar ran up behind Jeritza, yelling a battle cry, with the blunt training axe he wielded high in the air. The masked man adjusted his footing and deftly turned to avoid the blow. Having swung with all his strength, Caspar's miss caused him to hit the literal dirt as he fell, dismayed.

Leonie saw her chance and took it.

She angled her lance down to the right, dropped to one knee and directed Professor Jeritza's sword away from her and towards the ground as he still was applying force, but was distracted enough to be caught off guard. His awareness returned quickly after that as he took advantage of her lowered weapon and planted his foot upon the tip, weighing it down. He would've had time to strike her had not the young Fraldarius boy attempted to slash with his weapon that same moment. Jeritza's breathing intensified. These were youths with potential; he had not broken a sweat once in a fight as long as he could remember. He raised his foot off of the girl's lance and kicked her off balance. He took a wooden sword to the leg. The pain confused but excited him. In a real battle, a severe leg injury would've occurred. He faked a chuckle. The heir to house Fraldarius would make an entertaining sparring partner. Felix Hugo Fraldarius was, unknown to Jeritza at the time, hellbent on mastering his sportsmanship. He was already nearly skilled enough to match Jeritza. Each fierce** *****crack* **and ***thud* **of their weapons meeting each other was louder than the one before. Leonie picked herself up off the ground, and not missing a beat steadied her weapon and ran headlong towards the two.

A lance was most dangerous when used in a thrusting attack. As soon as each student had selected their sparring weapon and begun the session, the masked Professor had gone straight for her, keeping her on the defensive from the start. It was a smart tactic. Captain Jeralt would've approved, Leonie felt sure of that. Jeritza had been strategizing on the spot. The students hadn't bothered discussing a group approach to duelling the mysterious teacher, and this was a mistake, as Leonie had soon realized. Embarrassed, and sure that the Captain would've lectured her on the importance of cooperation with allies, she made the conscious decision to improve, starting now.

"Hey! Don't you dare--"

Parrying a strike from a winded Felix, Jeritza menacingly glared from behind his mask at Leonie. He abruptly cut her off.

"Forget about you? Quite the opposite. You're late. And wide open."

His hand reached out, prepared to catch the shaft of her weapon and cast her aside.

"Now! I have you. Thanks for turning around."

Her feigned lance thrust had gotten his attention Leonie kicked up a cloud of dust, and the mask he wore didn't do anything to keep it from getting near his eyes. The irritation causing him to lose focus, and in an instant, Felix had the training blade pressed against Jeritza's throat.

"Good sparring session, Professor. But we've won this time." he asserted matter-of-factly. "And here I thought you made a big deal about this not being fair for us. I'm not a fan of empty threats; only challenges."

In an instant, Jeritza had whirled on him and, with both hands firmly grasping Felix's head, forcefully cracked it to the side with a sickening ***snap***, the boy's eyes wide in terror.

But of course, this was all happening in the Masked Man's head. His frustration with his loss had momentarily opened the door to his dark alter-ego, the Death Knight. He was still, so very still. He needed to calm down. This was no time to lose control; he knew that. Reluctantly, the dark persona within slunk back into the deep recesses of his mind. He raised his hands skyward, surrendering and officially ending their brief training session.

"This would have never happened if I had used my scythe. I can let these students live; they have the potential to challenge me at my greatest strength, should they improve." these words he thought to himself.

"Clever strategy young miss. But tricks won't always work, especially not on me. Focus on improving your strength, and if power eludes you, you've got the correct bearing to make a formidable archer. That is all. " he moved away from the three students and made his way in the direction of the gate.

"Wait!" shouted Caspar and Felix, almost in unison.

"What about me?! What did I do right and or wrong?" Caspar roared.

"And I was the one who was most evenly matched with you. Where is my recognition?" spoke Felix, his eyebrows lowered in annoyance.

"You're arrogant. I would've forced you to surrender had the girl not intervened. Work on cooperating with others. As for you, " he looked Caspar in the eye. "I don't know what you're trying to prove. You're too loud. Your enemy would hear you a mile away before you get the chance to land even one hit."

They all stood there, stunned. Felix scoffed and left without a word. Caspar raced over to the weapon rack and returned the wooden axe.

"That was awesome! I'll see you around, yeah? We've got to do that again. I'm going to get as strong as that Jeritza guy!"

Leonie decided that she liked Caspar's positivity in the wake of such stern criticism. Still, he didn't seem to be the brightest. And Felix, the heir to House Fraldarius had skill. She would have to challenge him one-on-one when she got the chance.

She wondered if Jeralt would've been proud of her. He had taught her to use whatever tactics the environment provided her with.

What she didn't know is that at that very moment, he was walking through the Monastery gate with the rest of the convoy. The former Captain of the Knights of Seiros had returned. And with him was someone who would change her life forever.


	5. The Archbishop and the Cake Connoisseur

"We're finally here, Captain! Oh, and for crying out _crowd_! Look at all these people."

Sure enough, the gates of Garreg Mach were packed with people cheering the triumphant return of Alois and the three house leaders. Jeralt did his best to keep a low profile, but among the crowd, he caught whispers of his name being tossed around. He was going to have to avoid a lot of questions during his time here, however short it would be. Still, he had a bad feeling about being back at the monastery. Something told him he might not get to leave as quickly as he would like to.

As the entourage marched up the stone steps into the entrance hall, the students rejoined their peers. All eyes were on Jeralt and his daughter as each house leader, in turn, thanked their saviours. Out of the crowd, a large, well-built silver-haired young man of Duscur stepped forward and bowed politely.

"Thank you for watching after his highness, sir. I am in your debt." he said, his voice surprisingly calm and gentle despite his appearance.

Jeralt nodded, then replied to the foreigner.

"Thanks, but truth be told, my daughter here had more part in the rescue than I did."

The vassal of House Blaiddyd turned and offered Byleth a polite bow.

"Then, I thank you also miss, as does his highness."

Byleth looked on, a million questions racing through her mind, but rather than speaking, she disguised her thoughts behind her big blue eyes and blank expression. She was good at that, staying quiet and keeping to herself. It was easier for her to observe, document, analyze. Social interactions were kept brief and to the point, living in a band of mercenaries. But presently, here she was, surrounded by more people than she had ever seen. Overall, the whole place made her nervous. Even having her father nearby did nothing to ease her anxiety.

A knight of the Church made his way into the assembly and attempted to get Jeralt's attention. Jeralt noticed the armor-clad man and acknowledged him.

"Pardon me sir," said the knight, addressing Jeralt.

"The archbishop would like to speak to you privately. Come with me please."

Jeralt shifted uncomfortably in his armor, and turned to Byleth.

"I'll be as quick as I can, little one. Just... don't go too far. And stay out of trouble."

he smiled at her, and as usual, she smiled back. Just on the inside instead.

Sighing, he followed the knight through the monastery, and up the stairway to the second floor. Then he was led into a large room where, standing in the centre was the Archbishop herself. In all of her magnificent adornments, wearing immaculate robes, and her long majestic green hair was carefully arranged to utter perfection. She looked identical to how she had when Jeralt had last seen her. Then again, the same could be said about him from her point of view. He hadn't changed at all, physically.

"I believe I have you to thank for rescuing my students, do I not?" her voice gave Jeralt shivers.

"I can't take all the credit, your Captain Alois was there, too."

She smiled, that's all she ever seemed to do. If Jeralt had not spent so much time with his daughter, he would've had a much harder time reading the Archbishop's true emotions. Right now, she was playing patient, but clearly very agitated about something.

"Oh, Alois isn't the Captain of the Knights. Truly, we do not currently have anyone in the role. I had planned to ask you to take up that position much later in our conversation, but seeing as how you've brought it up now, why don't we discuss-" "No way," Jeralt cut her off before she continued.

"You know damn well why I left the Knights in the first place. I didn't come here to ask for employment. Mercenary work has me all tied up, I'm afraid. "

"Perhaps I should ask your daughter then?" the faintest glimpse of obsession lit her eyes for just a moment. "I am not so blind as you would like me to be, old friend. It is **her**, is it not? Your child from those many years ago? The one thought killed in the fire?"

This is exactly what Jeralt had feared would happen. He could bluff his way out of this, but the Archbishop, Rhea, would likely see through any lie he could muster. He could manage to run away and take Byleth with him, but the Knights would surely hunt them down to the ends of the earth.  
With no real options available to him, he silently apologized to his wife and daughter, and acknowledged Rhea's claims.

"It's her."

* * *

Byleth loitered around in the Entrance Hall. Everyone was giving her the strangest looks. It didn't matter. Jeralt would return any minute now, and they would leave this place together and go back to Remire Village. They hadn't given any of the villagers a proper farewell. Jeralt never left a location without a proper goodbye, so they would be going back. Not that it was the most delightful place around, mind you. Byleth always hated moving around all the time. She envied the simple farmers, blacksmiths and hunters, who had permanent homes. They had a place to belong. Not Jeralt, and not her.

Something caught Byleth's attention.  
Movement from the far corridor. Small. Female. Strikingly pale hair. She was carrying something. The other girl looked around, as if afraid of being watched. Their eyes met. Now the other girl was coming right towards her!

"You saw, didn't you?" the other, younger girl said in accusation, pointing at Byleth.

"I didn't see anyth-"

"Please don't tell anyone. I-I'll bribe you to stay quiet!"

"I have no idea what you're talking about." Byleth tried to deescalate the situation, having no idea what she had witnessed.

"Oh, I see. You're not the bribe-taking sort. Well then, you leave me with no choice!" the small girl, and she reached into the small pouch she was carrying.  
Byleth's sense of danger was roused, and she drew her knife to defend herself.

"Ah, is that a knife? Splendid! It'll be so much easier to cut you a piece of cake with it. Here, may I?" the girl held out her hand. Utterly confused, Byleth placed her dagger in the young girl's palm. Within seconds, she was handed a warm, sweet-smelling slice of cake.

"Well? Do not forget, that's your hush payment. The last thing I need around here is a student going around spreading the word that I'm completely obsessed with sweet cakes."

"Oh, I'm not a student..." Byleth muttered in reply.

"**WHY DID YOU NOT TELL ME THIS TO BEGIN WITH**?!" the other girl cried aloud. "I wasted a perfectly good piece of cake as part of my genius plan to earn your friendship, and you're telling me you're not even a student here? You're unbelievable!" she folded her arms and pouted. "Well, at least you came out of this a winner. Go away and, I don't know, eat your cake or something!"

Byleth, who hadn't touched the slice, extended her arm towards the young girl, offering her the piece of cake back in appeasement.

"Here, I haven't touched it. Just take it back. I'm sorry, this has all been a misunderstanding."

"Keep it." the pale-haired girl said, disappointment ringing clear in her voice. "But you must tell me anyway, how was it? The whole cake bribery act. If you _were_ a student, do you think that you would feel compelled to befriend me after that?"

"I'm not sure. I'm not exactly familiar with the process of attaining friendship. So maybe try it on someone that isn't me?"

"Hmm... not the most helpful response, but alright. Say, what was your name again?"

"Byleth Eisner."

"Pleased to meet you, Byleth. I'm Lysithea. Sorry for bothering you." she handed Byleth back her knife. "and enjoy the cake."

She watched in silence as Lysithea walked away, rounded the corner and was gone.

Byleth hoped that Jeralt would hurry up and get back here; this place was full of such odd people, she mused.


	6. Professor Eisner

After all these years, Jeralt's world was falling apart.

"Seteth will be along shortly. I will ask that you bring the child here immediately. I would like to be introduced to her. Have no fear, I will feign ignorance towards your daughter. We can pretend that we never had this conversation." Rhea's calming voice cooed.

"And you give your sworn word that no harm will come to her?"

Rhea's face shone with kindness. Jeralt didn't trust it.

"Jeralt, you know I will show your daughter the utmost care. But you must trust me. If not as the Archbishop of the Church of Seiros, than as a former close friend and ally."

"Rhea..." Jeralt began, only to be interrupted abruptly by the archbishop.

"I know, Jeralt. You must fear that I had something to do with the child's abnormalities. I can assure you, all those years ago I acted only in the name of saving your daughter's life. I cannot stop you from having reservations towards the Church. But I pray that in your time with us again, you might allow me to earn back your trust."

"Wanting to hire my daughter as an instructor for your Officer's Academy does little to inspire trust, Rhea." growled Jeralt, suspicious of her intentions.  
"What are you playing at, I wonder? The girl's got a knack for combat, for sure. But putting her in charge of teaching an entire class of stuck-up nobles?"

"If your child is anything like her father, she'll be perfect for the job. You yourself are a natural born leader; I'm sure she'll find a way."

"But why a teacher?"

"Jeralt, we have three houses to instruct; and currently only two professors I trust enough with the positions. Prior to the bandit attack, the student's Academy escort was to be our third professor. His whereabouts are unknown, but we've reason to believe he's no longer among the living. I earnestly believe your daughter will be a wonderful addition to the faculty. Alois went out of his way to praise her skills in battle."

Of course that damned Alois would do something like that, thought Jeralt.

"Additionally, the role will surely fill in any gaps in her own education, and provide room and board for you both."

Looking out of the window into the courtyard below, Jeralt could see all the excitement around the monastery was settling down. He felt no better about Rhea's offer now than he had at the beginning of their talk together, but he couldn't deny that settling down for a while might be helpful for Byleth.

"It's not like I have much of a say in the matter. So who's this Seteth guy, anyway?"

"A very old and dear friend."

* * *

**Some time later**

* * *

"Sorry I dragged you into this. Looks like I'll be stuck her for a while...and I'm afraid your services are requested as well."

Byleth contemplated what Jeralt meant by that. She was to work here? At the monastery?  
Her father's conversation with the Archbishop had felt awkward, as if each line of their's was rehearsed. There was something neither of them were telling her, and she had a bad feeling about it. Jeralt was to take on his old role of Captain for the Knights of Seiros. That was news to Byleth. Her father had never before mentioned being affiliated with the Knights, much less their leader! And now they wanted to hire her?

"I don't think I'd be an ideal housekeeper." she said flatly

"Sorry kid, it doesn't sound like they want you to take on cleaning duties. Although you might prefer that to what they actually want you for." Jeralt hoped the news he was about to break to his daughter wouldn't come as too much of a shock.

"From the sounds of it, they want you to teach at the Officer's Academy."

Before she was able to process anything, her thoughts were interrupted by a sing-song voice coming from someone behind her. Byleth spun around and saw two adults walking towards her and Jeralt. One an older dignified looking man, dressed in a manner that both called him out as a scholar, and befit his dignity. The other, a woman, wearing heavy makeup and wearing the kind of clothing that put most of her "dignity" on display.

"Professor Hanneman, Father of Crestology, at your service." spoke the older gentleman, and he bowed respectfully.

"Oh my, aren't you quite a looker? So stern and handsome, and exactly my type of man, just tossing that out there." the woman winked at Jeralt, who was visibly uncomfortable at the moment. She continued on, gazing up and down Jeralt's body.

"I'm Professor Manuela, but I'd rather drop the professor part and have you call me just Manuela, unless you can think of anything else?" Manuela batted her eyes before continuing. "Oh, I think we're going to get along very nicely professor...?"

"I'm actually not the new professor." Jeralt gulped and averted his eyes. "That's her, right there." and he gestured to Byleth, who was also very uncomfortable in this conversation. Jeralt leaned in and whispered to his daughter "You've got things from here. Good luck, and... watch out for Lady Rhea. This is all her idea. She may have ulterior motives in making you a professor. Stay on your guard." He then walked away, determined to get as far away from Professor Manuela as he could.

Byleth spent the next few minutes enduring Hanneman and Manuela deliver exposition and bicker back and forth about each other before Hanneman finally gave up on lecturing Manuela about her drinking habits and turned in interest towards Byleth.

"Ah, I simply must ask; do you have a crest? I have a device for examining a person's crest in my office. If you happen to have a free moment, I'd very much like to analyze yours. Unfortunately, I have many important duties to attend to. I hope to see you soon, Professor."

Byleth still couldn't fathom that it was her he was referring to as "Professor". She had no idea what she was going to do. Part of her wanted to run away. Another part of her knew that she would just have to endure it. Like everything else about her life so far.

Manuela mentioned that the house leaders had already been informed that she was to be the new professor this semester, and she encouraged Byleth to seek them out and learn all she could.

"I'm sure you'll do great here, Professor. But just in case, I wish you good luck."

And with those _words of encouragement_, Professor Manuela exited the room, and Byleth was left alone to think.

* * *

Jeralt squatted with one knee to the ground in front of a tombstone. He laid a few assorted flowers against the cold rock, then affectionately placed his hand on it.

"Sorry I haven't been around lately," he quietly spoke aloud.

"Got caught up in work, you know how it is..." he trailed off, then breathed a heavy sigh and added

"We've got a lot to catch up on, don't we?"


	7. Scheming Golden Deer

"Listen up, Golden Deer! I'll lay it out plain and simple; there's a new professor, and I want us to all do our part to impress her and get her to pick us."

Claude walked back and forth between his fellow Leicester Alliance students, beaming with confidence as he delivered his plan.

"I've been told she'll be around talking to the other leaders as well. That's why we'll plant ourselves all around the monastery, but concentrated around the other house leaders. Everyone will need to be as charming as possible, and our winning personalities will do the rest of the work. Any questions?"

"Hmph." scoffed a tall, violet-haired noble from the midst of the group. "You can't possibly expect to order us around after we've just met. I see no reason why we should go out of our way to sway the new Professor. I have heard that she has no previous experience as a teacher. It hardly makes sense for the academy to have hired her, frankly."

Claude rolled his eyes.

"C'mon Lorenz; you mean that you, the prestigious heir of House Gloucester in all your vast knowledge, haven't heard? Archbishop Rhea _herself _appointed the Professor. Plus, she's the daughter of some famous mercenary or something. I've seen her fight. She'd make you look like the uneducated one, I guarantee as much."

She sounds like she could be a good training partner, Leonie mused. The part about the new Professor's parent being a famous merc was made up. There's no way there existed a mercenary in Fodlan as famous as Jeralt. And Leonie knew for sure that the Blade Breaker didn't have a child. When he had saved her village from the poachers, he had with him only a few mercs to back him up.

"I totally agree with you, Claude," said one of the girls in the group, the one with the brightest pink-coloured hair that Leonie had ever seen.

"So what if the new Professor is a newbie? I won't mind." she bounced up and down on her heels, smiling harmlessly.

"Of course, you wouldn't. A new teacher means she's likely inexperienced. Something you clearly would take advantage of. You have no academic drive whatsoever."

This jab had come straight from the mouth of Lysithea. Leonie still hadn't learned much about her neighbour yet, but if she was always this blunt, she knew they would be fast friends. Friends. Something Leonie never had back home in Sauin Village. She was simply too busy, either hunting or training. No one there had the same interests as her, even remotely. But here at the monastery, maybe she would finally be able to connect with her peers.

"What's this, Claude? Do I hear you correctly, you are attempting to secure the most talented Professor for the Golden Deer House?"

A new group of academy students had walked onto the scene. At the forefront of the gathering was Edelgard, the head of the Black Eagle house, and it was she who had spoken up.

"Don't get any silly ideas. The Professor has already come and spoken personally with me. I believe that she will ask to instruct us. Strength attracts strength, you know."

From Claude's Golden Deer, a booming male voice responded.

"If all that stuff about strength is true, then she'll pick us! Have you seen my muscles? Ha!"

staring down Raphael, the muscle-bound giant who had addressed her, Edelgard chuckled.

"One wonders if your physical strength is on par with your mental strength? With the Black Eagle house, the Professor will educate the strongest minds Fodlan has to offer."

Leonie glanced over at Lysithea, who rolled her eyes in annoyance. Claude, however, didn't miss a single beat and retorted jokingly,

"Your house has the strongest minds... **_if_** they're not cowering in their room in fear or always asleep. Or if the strength of one's intellect is decided by how knowledgeable they are on the topic of fine teas. I hear you, your magnificence. But the Golden Deer house has more of a down to earth attitude and enough heart to keep up with the likes of you and your cronies."

Edelgard scowled momentarily, then stuck up her nose and led her house past them, refusing to engage in further argument. She was confident that she had already won the interest of the academy's newest Professor. And if her plans were going to succeed, she would greatly value the experience the former mercenary offered. Claude could insult her and her house's students all day. In the end, she didn't care. She wasn't here to make friends or enemies. Just acquire the means by which to accomplish her goals.

* * *

After speaking with Dimitri, House Leader of the Blue Lions, Byleth made her way to where she was told she could find Claude, the last person she had not spoken with among the leaders. She tried to remember all of the different student's names that she had heard thus far; Sylvain, Dorothea, Ferdinand, Ashe, Mercedes, Hubert, Petra. There were more, but she had been flooded with so much information throughout the day she didn't have the headspace to remember everyone.

"Um, excuse me."

Byleth looked around for the meek sounding voice and found it belonged to a young man with round glasses.

"I'm really sorry to bother you, but you're going to talk with Claude, aren't you?"

She nodded towards the student and asked for his name. She didn't expect to remember it necessarily, but she extended the formal introductions all the same.

"I'm Ignatz Victor; son of the Victor family merchants in Leicester, perhaps you've heard of them?"

Byleth shook her head and politely let him know that she did not. This was not the first time today that she had given such an answer. It had hit her hard that all these years, she had been more isolated from the rest of the world than she realized.

"We're one of the more influential merchant families in the Leicester Alliance. N-not that I think that makes us better than anyone else, of course. It's just, you know, a fun fact about my family. I'm just letting you know in case Claude skips over that part when you talk with him. It's not like I distrust him, mind you. I think he's a decent guy. But he might just describe me as a thoughtful, shy teacher's pet. Which is not true, I have to point out. I'm sorry, am I rambling? I sound like I'm rambling. You better just talk to Claude. I'm going to say something wrong if I keep worrying about how I'm perceived. It was really nice to meet you, Professor."

Ignatz rushed off, his head hanging low, and he chastised himself until he was out of range for Byleth to hear. Almost as soon as he was gone, Byleth found herself confronted by a short-haired, intense-looking redhead with matching coloured eyes. It was Leonie.

"There you are! Everyone around here is talking about you. How great you are and how you saved Claude and the others. Your dad is some so-called "famous" mercenary. But now that I see you, I don't know what's so great about you at all. You don't look nearly as strong as you'd have to be to make a good merc. I should know. I was trained by the best one that ever lived."

Byleth wasn't expecting such aggression, and her expression didn't show her surprise as much as she thought it did.

"I'm Leonie. First apprentice of the Blade Breaker himself."

Now Byleth's eyes widened, and her surprise was evident enough for Leonie to take notice.

"Hey, what's up with your face? Is my name weird sounding to you? Or have you never heard of the most famous mercenary in Fodlan? Jeralt Eisner, the Blade Breaker?"

"That's my father's name." Byleth quietly muttered, confused why this random student claimed to know her father.

Leonie, taken aback, blinked and then let out a far louder confused yell than she intended to.

"**WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT?!**"


	8. Sauin Village

**Six Years Ago**

* * *

"They have at least three archers, all positioned along the treeline. Couldn't see if they had any more behind; I had to get out of there after they noticed me." said a young man, exhausted and gasping for breath as the village herbalist applied a salve to the wound on his leg. The arrowhead hadn't pierced him very deeply, but Jeralt knew his man would be out of commission for the fight ahead.

"That'll be good enough, Ardin. Now we have more of an idea what we're dealing with."

Jeralt paced the damp cottage floor, the old wooden floorboards creaking under his weight. Three days had his company fended off bandit attacks. "Poachers," as the villages called them. Among their ranks was the son of the village elder, well versed in the comings and goings of the people of Sauin Village. The first attack had come just after dark on the same day they had arrived. The camp was being set, and a watch had not been placed, which led to the bandits having the upper hand. In the surprise and chaos that ensued, Jeralt's mercenaries had lost their healer, Mel, to one of the bandits. Now, without her healing magic, Jeralt's job here had gotten much more difficult.

Ardin, the wounded man Jeralt had sent out for reconnaissance, slowly rose and sat up straight on the table which he had been laid, his legs hanging over the side.

"Jeralt, I know it looks bad, but I'm still combat-ready for tonight."

"Don't try to pass that kind of bullshit off on me, Ardin. I can see you flinching even now. Listen, we'll manage without you. I need healthy men and women, and that's why you'll lie right here and rest up. I don't think they'll come at us with their full force tonight. Remember how many of them we killed in the last raid? Right now, both sides will be licking their wounds." Jeralt said, as sturdy and confident as ever.

Truthfully, he was worried. When his company had taken on this job, he didn't expect to be pitted against such well-informed and coordinated foes. They were efficiently traversing the forest paths on all sides of Sauin, striking from one side, and then another quickly, surgically even. And although they had indeed thinned the bandits' numbers, there was no telling how many more they had left. The mercenary forces Jeralt led were disciplined combatants. But skill alone would not hold out for much longer against sheer numbers.

* * *

With darkness setting in, Jeralt left the cottage and made his way to the stables. His horse needed to be fit for battle, and he was getting restless besides.  
The windowless stable allowed the waning sun's final few rays of light in, framing the various animal pens with a warm, subtle glow. He would've liked to enjoy the scene with a tankard of beer, but he couldn't afford to dull his wits. Too many people depended on him; the villagers, his mercs, and his daughter back home.

Behind him, he heard the sound of light footsteps. Carefully, he turned around with his weapon ready.

"Are you going to stop them?"

It was a young girl, no older than 12 or 13, he figured. A little younger than his Byleth. Her eyes were sunken and dull, and she had on the most ragged of clothes. She held in her hands a thin bow; a tiny quiver hung on her waist, a handful of arrows within.  
"I said, are you going to stop them?" the girl repeated, looking Jeralt straight in the eye.

"Kid, listen. I-"

"Are you going to stop them or not? Answer the question!" she shouted, cutting Jeralt off before he had a chance to continue.

"...Yes." Jeralt stated, betraying his inner thoughts and reasoning. Sometimes children needed blind optimism, and he had no way of knowing what this young girl had been through. He wanted to tell her what he thought, that he was uncertain, that he had no way of knowing for sure how the upcoming conflict would go. He needed more men or at least some kind of tactical advantage against the bandits.

"Then, please help me," came the girl's muffled reply. She hung her head and stared at the ground, and Jeralt could tell she was fighting back the tears.  
"I...I wasn't strong enough to save papa. Those awful people, they..." she trailed off, and wiped at her eyes. Jeralt knew she couldn't be the only person who had lost someone over these bandit attacks. Before he and his mercs had arrived, there hadn't been much violence in the village. The poachers had only threatened violence when their demands were not met but had met with little resistance from the poor village folk. It was his fault, to some extent. Jeralt had taken this job for the pay, thinking it would be an easy task. He had given violent men a reason to act on their violent nature, and it was the same people he was here to protect that were suffering the most.

"They killed him. And after everything he taught me, I couldn't help at all. I felt so weak, so helpless. So please, mister, can you help me get strong enough to fight back? I can't afford to be helpless ever again!"

Then the girl's hands balled into fists, and she raised her head again, and it was at that moment that Jeralt saw her eyes. Inside her eyes, a fire had been lit. He knew that look; it was the same look that he had once had so many years ago. It had fueled his desperate attempt to break through the lines of a hundred enemy soldiers to defend the archbishop, and the same look had been flaming inside of him when he had been nearly killed. He had been a grown man, a soldier. Here now was a young girl, with her whole life ahead of her. A life that would be snuffed out if he let her burning desire for vengeance go untamed.

"Alright, kid, I'll help you, but you have to promise me you'll stay out of harm's way. I don't want my apprentice to get hurt. So if you do everything exactly as I say, I will agree to teach you what I can."

That night was hell.

Surely enough, the enemy attacked again, with greater numbers than anticipated. But judging by the wounded among their ranks, Jeralt got the feeling that they might soon see the end of the conflict. These so-called poachers were sending out men to fight that rightfully ought to be resting and healing up. As for Jeralt's young apprentice, she was making herself useful, perched in a barn loft and raining down arrows in the areas Jeralt had instructed her to. She wasn't hitting anyone, but the fire she was providing herded the bulk of the enemy forces into a choke point Jeralt had set up. He ran them down, his bloodied lance sweeping through the weak armour of bandit after bandit. Seeing they were poorly positioned, many turned aside and tried to clamber up the barricade wall, making them easier targets for Jeralt's lance. Amid the spray of blood and the cries of pain on every side of him, Jeralt managed to focus enough to hear the warning the girl shouted from the barn.

"**CAPTAIN JERALT! ARCHERS!**"

He was in the open, having trampled his way through the space behind the makeshift barricade. He had no cover, and no time to fall back. All he heard was the _thud_ of the arrows as his horse staggered underneath him. He mustered up enough strength to fling himself over the animal's side as it crumpled to its knees, neighing weakly.

The enemy continued firing, and Jeralt crawled away from there as fast as he could manage. His ankle had been twisted in the fall, and he could not find the strength to stand. He propped himself against the barn wall, his chest heaving. Around him, he could hear the sound of battle growing quieter as if the fighting had moved away. The enemy was routed, and his men pursued the fleeing bandits into the woods. The three enemy archers who remained were now approaching, staying a safe distance away to determine if the village's defenders had left for sure. Jeralt's vision blurred, but he could make out their shapes as they slipped past the defences and made their way into one of the buildings. With dread, Jeralt recognized it as the makeshift infirmary they had set up. He strained himself, trying to stand, to no avail. His movements caught the attention of one of the bandits, who had just exited the building, albeit one man short. Jeralt reached for his dagger, only to remember he had given it to the young girl in the barn loft to defend herself with. The two archers neared, and Jeralt could see that one of them matched the description of the village. Elder's son, the one who had incited the raiding, to begin with.

"Haven't decided to die yet, have you Blade Breaker?" sneered the rogue as he nocked one of his arrows onto his bowstring.

Suddenly, his companion groaned and gurgled as an arrow shot through and lodged itself in his throat.

"Leave Captain Jeralt alone, you bastards!" screamed the young girl, standing on the balcony above them. She readied another arrow and let loose; it planted itself through the foot of the village's traitor, who squealed bloody murder and shouted obscenities at the girl.

"How dare you betray this village? How dare you and your filth rape and pillage your own families? No more. I won't let you take away our strength." She shot again, but missed, lending enough time to the howling bandit to draw his bow. Jeralt threw himself at the man, and his shot went awry. The two men wrestled for a few minutes, but at last, Jeralt had strangled the life from the traitor's body.

The girl climbed down and stood near Jeralt. Her whole body shook, and she was crying wordlessly. Jeralt motioned for her to sit down.

"You did good, kid. I mean that. Somewhere, wherever he is, you made your father very proud."

She looked at him, her deep orange eyes full of tears.

"And you?"

"Me too, kid. I'm sorry you had to be a part of any of this, but I'm real proud of you."

They embraced, and she helped him to his feet.

"Captain Jeralt, sir?" she asked meekly.

He acknowledged her with a nod. Bringing her tears under control, she steadied her breathing and asked;

"Can you train me to be even stronger? And then maybe can I come with you when you decide to leave?"

The question broke his heart, because he knew he couldn't say yes.


	9. An Uncomfortable Reunion

The silence had gone far past just being awkward.

On one side of the table sat Leonie, Byleth standing beside her. At the other end of the table was Byleth's father, Jeralt.  
After the revelation of Jeralt being the father of the new professor, Leonie's mind was frenzied. How was he here? Why was he here? But the most important thing to her then was the question of where. Where is he? Take me to him, or you're a damn liar! All that and more, Leonie had shouted at Byleth. She couldn't remember what else she had said, though she hoped it hadn't been anything hurtful. Jeralt was returning from the cemetery when Byleth wordlessly pulled him aside and led him to the dining hall. Leonie struggled to control all the myriad of emotions going through her, but she managed to sit down across from him nonetheless.

She'd had several years to plan out what she would say when she saw her idol again, and here he was right across the table from her, and neither of them could say a word or even look at each other.

Byleth wondered about this strange girl. She seemed to know Jeralt well, but her father had never once mentioned her before. It was unlike him to keep something from her, she thought.

Byleth spoke up, breaking the silence with her monotonous voice.

"I hate to interrupt such a lively conversation, but I still haven't spoken to the last house leader. Give yourselves plenty of time to catch up, don't worry about me."

She had questions to ask both of them, but the sun was hanging low in the sky by now, and still, she hadn't gotten back to the Archbishop and the other professors about which class she'd like to teach. It didn't look like she was going to leave Garreg Mach any time soon, and neither was her father. There would be free time later where she could freely interrogate this Leonie and her father as well.

"Will the day's excitement never end?" came a voice from behind Byleth. She looked around, but no one was in sight.  
Then without warning, Sothis, the mysterious girl from Byleth's dreams, faded into view, hovering in the air weightlessly. Byleth's eyes widened, and she was surprised, nowhere near used to the fact that a whole other person existed inside of her mind.

"Come now; I won't have you being so shocked each time we speak together. You'll have to accustom yourself with my presence or risk people thinking you're insane. You aren't insane, right?"

Byleth nodded.

"So, all that aside, are you prepared to make your decision yet?"

(Not quite yet) thought Byleth, to which Sothis responded.

"Well, why are you just standing around? Find this Claude person. I'm going to take another nap. I'll wake up if you do anything stupid or require my wisdom. But, honestly, try to be smart and think for yourself? I'm reeeally sleepy..." and she disappeared, snoring quietly before Byleth stopped hearing or feeling her presence altogether.

Getting her footing, Byleth took off in a sprint across the monastery, searching for Claude von Riegen.

* * *

"If you don't feel like talking, I guess it'll have to be me then," muttered Leonie, who stared down at the table in front of her.  
"I have spent the last six years trying to keep up with my training, training that **_you _**taught me to do. I lost hope of you ever coming back around two years ago. I didn't think I held anything against you until now. I got it, you know? You didn't want to have to bring around this hopeless, barely useful little girl, especially when everywhere you went would be dangerous, and there were no guarantees you could always be looking out for me. I understood that. Made my peace with it."

"Kid, I can't even begin to explain why I had to leave you behind," interjected Jeralt, who spoke as seriously as he could manage. But Leonie started talking again before he could bring himself to continue.

"My name is Leonie. Did you remember that? You know, I think you purposely never referred to me by name during the time you trained me. It kept you safe from getting attached, didn't it? If you bothered to acknowledge me as anything other than an orphaned village girl, you might actually feel bad for abandoning me, right?"

Jeralt's anger welled, but he couldn't deny what Leonie was accusing him of.

"Leonie," he said, maintaining his calmness. "I didn't mean to abandon you. I trained you so that you would be able to care for yourself, didn't I? I taught you everything I thought you needed."

"What I needed? What I needed then was **someone who cared**. You couldn't possibly know all the pain I was going through after those poachers killed my papa. I never expected you to, either. But what you gave me, in the absence of a family, was hope. You gave me hope that it might one day be all right again, that I wouldn't have to suffer alone with the nightmares of that day. I thought that if you trained me as your apprentice, maybe you would stick around, or at least take me with you. I had lost everything in that place. There was nothing there for me." she balled her hands into fists, eyes clenched tightly to keep her tears hidden.

"I didn't know what I'd done wrong after you left. You never told anyone you were leaving. I made up so many excuses. I was trying to rationalize it. Do you know that I blamed myself? At least for the first while, anyway. Maybe I was too weak, or perhaps I was just unworthy. So I kept training. I poured myself into it. While the other girls in the village learned to sew, I honed my body in exercise. I told myself that if I kept getting stronger, more skillful, that you would return one day proud of me, and I would resume my apprenticeship under you. I believed that with my whole heart, every minute of every day for _years_."

Jeralt looked away uncomfortably. He wished he had the words to say that would make all of this right; that would make up for his actions. He couldn't apologize; that would seem shallow and dismissive. Oh, how much simpler things would've been if he had never come back to this place! But that was what he always did. Looked for ways to run away when things got complicated.

"K-, er, Leonie, I'm just as disappointed with myself as you are. And if I knew what to say or do that would make it up to you, I would. I've lived a long time and made a lot of mistakes. I've done things I'm not proud of, and I don't consider myself a role model. I never expected you to be so persistent in your training. It looks like I was the unworthy one. I do not deserve an apprentice like you, Leonie. I can't wipe away my failures by asking for your forgiveness, but I can offer you something better. Allow me to take you as my apprentice once more. I'm not going to leave you again. I give you my word. I will watch over you and help you become a better person than I could ever hope to be. It's not even remotely as much as you deserve for the hurt that I've caused, but it's all I can offer."

Leonie stood up, walked around the table to where Jeralt sat, and hugged him tightly.

"Hey, hey. That's enough of that. You take me for some sentimental sap?"

Leonie released her hold and chuckled softly.

"I have been carrying those burdens for years. It's good to get them out finally. What I haven't done yet is thank you. Because of what you taught me, I've become a dedicated, resourceful person who's fiercely independent. The reason I've been doing the same training after all these years, is because I wanted to meet up with you again someday, a stronger and more confident person than the girl you forgot back in Sauin Village. I'm just sorry that I haven't gotten there quite yet. But now, I will accept your offer. I will be your apprentice again, so that one day I, Leonie Pinelli, am just as legendary of a mercenary as the great Blade Breaker. You saved our village, and indeed, you saved me. Might've messed me up emotionally, but I can't deny you saved my life. Thank you, Jeralt."

She smiled, and left the dining hall, returning to her dorm room, where she collapsed into her pillow. She cried into it, then felt relieved, excited even. It took her several minutes before she started crying again, for no reason other than she was emotionally exhausted. When she finally managed to give in to sleep, for the first time in years, she didn't have any nightmares.

* * *

Byleth tossed and turned in her bedsheets, trying to get into a comfortable position. She couldn't find one. Her day had been stressful and full of newness, new people, and a new job. She hated it. She hated feeling helpless and at the mercy of everyone else's whims. But still, she had basically accepted it. After all, she had decided which class she was to teach. Her choice had been made, and she would stay awake most of the night, wondering if she had made the right one.


	10. The Chosen Class

Each student filed into the classroom and found a seat. They whispered back and forth to each other, guessing as to who their teacher would be this year. Only Claude had was told which Professor they were assigned, and he hadn't revealed anything yet. Claude walked to the front of the class and addressed the room, and everyone quieted down quickly.

"Alright, everyone. We are all the Golden Deer class of 1180. All of you here come from different walks of life; some nobles, some affluential merchants, and some of you are simple commoners. Rest assured that no matter who you are or where you come from, this is a place where all are equal. By the end of our time together, I daresay this class will be like a second family to you. This year will be monumental; I truly believe that. I know some of you are worried that all we're going to do is study. Well, think again! I will do my best as House Leader to ensure that we supplement each bit of academics with an equal share of light-hearted fun. So, without further delay, I proudly present to you our Professor for the Golden Deer class!"

And with that, he burst out into a big grin and gestured towards the door, which opened slowly. Leonie got a look at Claude's face before she also turned to the door. He smiled, but he wasn't pleased. And when Professor Manuela marched through the classroom doors, she knew why.

"Good morning, students! I will be your Professor for our time together. Some of you may already know me as the School Nurse, and still, others may recognize me from my time with the Mittlefrank Opera Company in the Imperial Capital. I'm honoured to be here with all of you, and I want you to know I will be doing my very best to help all of you adorable young men and ladies become the best you can be! And lastly, don't forget, I plan to make myself _very _accessible. If any of you ever need anything, don't hesitate to ask." she winked at the students, mostly directed to the row of male students, who seemed to be sheepishly blushing.

Leonie had a feeling it was going to be a long year.

* * *

Byleth stood in front of her students. _Her _students. She would have to get used to that. Her lesson plan for today was to go over and assess each student's personal goals. It would help her get to know each student better and would make her lessons easier to structure for the future.  
Her class was silent, and all eyes fixed on her as she raised her voice and spoke:

"Hello, Black Eagle house. I'm Professor Eisner, and I-"

A boy from the back called out, abruptly cutting Byleth off.

"We already know who you are, can we maybe just get on with the class?"

Edelgard snapped at the one who had spoken.

"Linhardt! Allow the Professor to finish her introductory speech without further interruption if you can manage such a task."

The dark green-haired boy shrugged in response, and Edelgard's retainer, Hubert, shot him the foulest look Byleth had seen. Shakily, she resumed speaking.

"Good point actually, Linhardt. I suppose many of you already know who I am, but I cannot say the same of you. I want to take this opportunity to learn all of your names, interests, and what you expect to learn this year. And I'll try my best to keep things as painless as possible; we've all got better things to do, I'm sure."

Her audience chuckled at her last remark, and Byleth breathed a sigh of relief. She was out of her element, but she figured if she could find a way to lighten the mood, things would go smoothly.

One by one, she instructed each student to introduce themselves. It took Petra some time to properly word her introduction, as she was still learning the language of Fodlan. Byleth noted down a reminder to keep an eye on Linhardt, who was already nodding off. She had to warn Caspar, several times no less, to use his inside voice when in the classroom. Then she made a note to teach Caspar what an inside voice was, seeing as how confused he was when she brought it up. Bernadetta had quite the opposite problem. It took her what seemed like forever to finally stutter out her name, and she sat down immediately after uttering it. Byleth sensed that she was extremely anxious did not appreciate being called on in class, a sentiment that Byleth understood. She didn't have that problem with Ferdinand, however. She could barely get him to sit down and shut up once he finished introducing himself. He seemed polite and gentlemanly enough, but he appeared to be more than a little oblivious. Then there was Dorothea. She instantly reminded Byleth of Professor Manuela, and later she would learn that Dorothea had once been the understudy of the flirtatious former songstress. Hubert used as few words to introduce himself as possible. His glares spoke much better for him than he did anyway. And finally, she had come to Edelgard von Hresvelg.

It didn't take long before Byleth appreciated Edelgard. For the heir-inherent of the Imperial Throne, she was refreshingly down-to-earth, and a great help in keeping the other students in line. She gave off an aura of dignified authority, something that everyone around her seemed to pick up on. Especially Byleth.

"My teacher, I haven't told you my goals for this school year yet," Edelgard said, rising from her seat near the front of the classroom.

"As you know, I am to one day become the Emperor of Adrestia. This is no small burden. Many things weigh heavily on my mind, but foremost I want to see people treat each other fairly and as equals. To do that, I will require your guidance. To lead, I must learn what it is that makes a strong leader capable of changing the world for the better. That is the sort of thing I have in mind for my schooling goals."

Byleth didn't immediately have a reply, so she nodded in acknowledgement. Was she qualified to be teaching a future emperor? The thought made her shudder. Her teachings over this current school year would influence some of the most influential people in the Adrestian Empire, a place she had never even known about before her arrival here at Garreg Mach. "If there really is a Goddess," Byleth thought to herself, "I hope she finds the time to give me the wisdom I'm sure to need."

* * *

After the class was dismissed for lunch, Leonie walked with the rest of the Golden Deer students to the dining hall. She saw Jeralt talking with one of the knights, who appeared to be laughing at some joke he'd told. Jeralt glanced her way and smiled at her. Her day had suddenly gotten just a bit brighter. She was about to pass through the thick wooden doors, someone pulled her aside and out from the lineup. It was Claude.

"What did you say to the new Professor? Seriously. She was all kinds of weird when she finally came to talk with me. I asked around, and you were the last person with which she talked. I need to know what you said that made her so indifferent to our House."

Leonie felt accused, and she angrily pushed him aside.

"I don't know what you mean. I never said anything to give the wrong impression. Besides, Professor Manuela is...ok. Why were you so set on the newbie anyway? There isn't anything special about her."

Claude tilted his head and looked at her searchingly.

"I'm just really good at reading people. Take you, for example. I can tell that you're lying. But it's not the typical kind of lie. You legitimately don't recall giving the new teacher a bad impression. But for whatever reason, she wanted nothing to do with us after her time with you. Now, I may be jumping to assumptions, but I read that as you sabotaging my schemes, er, plans. And I want to make it very clear that you do not want to continue that pattern of behaviour."

Leonie leaned closer to him, but he didn't flinch.

"I'm not sure if you meant to threaten me just now, but listen, mister fancy pants noble. I am not interested in whatever plans you're concocting. I am just here to get a good education and hone my skills, so I don't have to take crap from people like you. I didn't deliberately put off the new teacher, but I may have gotten a little hot-headed with her. I'm sorry if that hurts your feelings. Now leave me alone, I'm done with this conversation."

She joined the lineup of hungry students in the cafeteria, leaving him behind.

The last to join the line for lunch was Claude, and all he was thinking about was that regardless of her attitude, Leonie was precisely the type of person he had taken her as being. He would need to keep a close eye on her in the coming days, to confirm his suspicions. She would either be a significant asset to his cause, or an obstacle to be removed.

Time would tell.


	11. Carefree Day Off

Byleth woke to a knocking on her door.

Panicked, she shot out of bed, dressed quickly and gathered her textbooks and teaching supplies before answering the door.

"Ah excellent, you are awake, Professor."

The unexpected morning visitor was Seteth, the advisor to the Archbishop. Byleth hadn't gotten a very great impression of him the first time they had met, and so Byleth couldn't figure why he was waking her up. Unless had she done something wrong? Her second day of teaching had gone well, she thought. At least after she had dragged Bernadetta into class, to begin with.

"Good morning Seteth. Um, if you don't mind me asking, what brings you here?" she let out a giant yawn as she asked him.

"I was told to inform you that there are no regular classes on Sundays. The Archbishop forgot to mention as much and did not want you to be confused."

(So I get a day off? Sure I'll take it.)

"Well, thanks for keeping me informed. I definitely didn't remember hearing about this before. But what do the other teachers do with their free days?"

Seteth crossed his arms and looked deep in thought for a moment before replying.

"Well, Manuela has her station in the infirmary. Classes or not, the school medic must be available should the need arise. As for Professor Hanneman, he rarely leaves his study if given the freedom to do as he chooses. In truth, there are no actual responsibilities for the day. You are free to spend the day as you so desire."

The door slammed just then, and Byleth flopped back into her bed, shutting out the rest of the world from underneath her bed covers.

* * *

"Hey, Captain?"

"What is it, Leonie?"

"I didn't want to question your judgement, but I already know how to fish... so why are we wasting precious training time doing this instead?"

Jeralt sighed. It didn't surprise him that his apprentice cared for little outside of training. He figured he knew her well enough for that; hell, it may have even been entirely his fault. However, he was convinced that she needed to settle down and enjoy life a bit more. So today's time at the monastery fishing lake was training after all, just of a different sort than Leonie was expecting.

"If you stop and think about it, this is training too."

Leonie raised an eyebrow and looked at him disbelievingly.

"Fishing is training? Like I'd believe that."

"Think about it this way; how much energy are you using when you fish?"

"How much energy? What do you mean by that?" she chirped back, confused.

"Well, right now, neither of us is catching anything. We're just sitting here with our feet dangling over the edge of the dock. The fishing rods are light and almost weightless if you're comparing them to any standard weapon. So overall, I'd say we're using very little energy doing what we're doing."

"Why are we comparing fishing rods to weapons again?"

"Never mind that, just listen." Jeralt hushed. "So, when the fish _do _start biting, which they will any minute now, obviously we'll be caught by surprise and lose our rods into the water, right?"

Leonie stared at Jeralt as if he wasn't taking her seriously.

"Um, no, we won't. That makes zero sense. We're waiting for the fish to bite. Why would we be caught so unawares by it happening?"

"Of course, you're right," replied Jeralt, a smile creeping up his face. "right now, even though it looks like we're just lazing about, we're both intensely aware of many things. The stillness of the water, how tight our fishing line is, who's nearby in the vicinity, even your heartbeat is slowed down with how focused you are right now."

"Captain Jeralt, if you're so focused on who's nearby, then why hasn't anyone spoke a single word to me since we all sat down to fish? I haven't even uttered a single joke this whole time!" spoke up Alois, who sat hunched over dejectedly next to Jeralt.

Both Jeralt and Leonie jumped in surprise, neither having paid much attention to the friendly knight since they sat down.

"Sweet Seiros, Alois! How long have you been sitting there in utter silence!" chuckled Jeralt amicably.

"Long enough to have fished half the lake dry, I should imagine! Here I've sat for the last two hours or so, catching pikes and loach like you wouldn't believe! It seems my fishing luck has turned!" Alois beamed with excitement. "I guess I've done enough fishing for now, though. I should probably _scale _it back a bit. Heh, heh."

The Captain and his Apprentice looked on, refusing to comment on his weak pun. Alois really got going if you gave him the slightest indication that he was humorous, so often ignoring him was the safest bet.

Jeralt scratched a sore spot on his shoulder before he turned again to Leonie.

"Distractions aside, the lesson here is patience and focus. Not all battles will be won by strength or aggression alone. I've learned what happens when you lose focus in a fight. Whether it's your emotions getting the better of you, or giving in to the adrenaline after being wounded, you cannot lose focus. Without patient focus, even something as simple as catching a fish becomes impossible."

"Is that all?" Leonie asked expectantly, her head tilted to the side.

"What do you mean _is that all_?!" I spent a solid thirty minutes thinking that one up. It's not easy, finding an excuse to laze around but also teach a life lesson!"

Leonie's jaw dropped.

"You mean that all along your plan was to kick back and relax? That's unthinkable, Captain Jeralt! Ugh! I could've been using my time productively, but instead, we've wasted most of the morning fishing!"

Jeralt stretched and allowed a hearty yawn before replying.

"No kid, I'm dead serious about the whole patience training stuff. You're just too young to appreciate it now. One day you'll look back and agree with everything I've ever taught or tried to teach you."

Leonie pulled her fishing line from the water, then set about packing up her borrowed fishing gear.

"Whoa whoa whoa kid, where are you going? The lesson's not over yet!" Jeralt called out to her as she walked away.

"There is no lesson here. Sorry Captain, I probably have some schoolwork needing doing. We can train later if you're up for it."

(Oh well, I did try to get her to relax. Can't fault a man for trying.) thought Jeralt, now left with Alois as his fishing partner.

As Leonie left the area, she could hear the sound of Alois's loud voice echo across the fishing hole and the sound of Jeralt's unamused sighs in return. She smirked.

* * *

"Alright, there's no way I'm letting you take on the endearing character trait I've already established for myself, so wake up silly little mortal! You must leave the sleeping to the sleeper, and I'm the sleeper."

(No, Sothis. I'm tired, and I need my rest. Leave me be) Byleth responded in thought-form. (Why can't I seem to get rid of this person?) she thought, referring to the green-haired girl who floated next to her bed in a glow of light.

"I am likewise unsure of what binds me to you, but that is of little consequence presently. What you should concern yourself with is the student at your door, I think."

Byleth's eyes opened slowly, and she peered towards the door. Sure enough, a knock sounded from outside.

"Sorry to disturb you, my teacher," came the voice of Edelgard, which was a reassurance to Byelth. She had feared it was her father, or perhaps Seteth again.

"I had thought it would be a good idea for us to go over our strategy for the mock battle coming up. Discuss which students take place, what terrain we should look to hold, etcetera."

Byleth swung the door open. Her student looked shocked for a moment before she regained her composure. Byleth's hair was a mess, her thin teal strands curled out from all sides, and her clothes wrinkled from being slept in. To top it all off, her eyes were half-shut, the sunlight coming through the open door nearly blinding her. She looked like a mess and she knew it.

stretching her tired arms, she asked,

"Mock battle? What mock battle?"


	12. The Mock Battle

**DAY OF THE MOCK BATTLE**

* * *

The Golden Deer students waited and watched from the small forest. The mock battle was underway, and the Black Eagle class ran across the field and made battle with the Blue Lion house students. Claude planned to wait out the bulk of the fighting, and jump in once the other houses were winded.

Four students were chosen to represent the class, and Leonie wasn't one of them. She watched from the sidelines with the other three students who hadn't made the cut; Raphael, the muscled blonde boy, Lysithea, and another girl with soft blue hair and dark circles under her eyes. Marianne von Edmund. Leonie remembered the girl's name now. She seemed shy when they introduced themselves, and nothing had changed since.

"So, how do you think our team will do?" Leonie asked, trying to make conversation.

"Well, judging by Claude's cowardly plan, I cannot possibly see us winning," stated Lysithea, who munched discreetly on a cookie.

"The Professor for the Black Eagles sure looks strong! I bet she eats a hundred turkeys a week to maintain that strength. Hmmm, turkeys..." mused Raphael. His mind usually drifted to food, Leonie had noticed.

"And what about you, Marianne?" Leonie asked, causing Marianne to startle slightly.

"Oh, um, I'm not really sure." was her quiet reply. She looked away again and said nothing more.

Surveying the battlefield, Leonie caught sight of Lorenz breaking rank from the other Golden Deer and charging into the Black Eagle student's formations. She would've found it amusing, if not for the fact that the deliberate act of disobedience annoyed her greatly. Claude wasn't a leader like Jeralt, she thought. Captain Jeralt would've kept his soldiers under control and following the orders they were given. Leonie could see the frustration on Claude's face as he regrouped his remaining forces, who were currently under fire from Ashe and Mercedes of the Blue Lions house. Professor Hanneman stood behind, offering archery tips to the two students. Mercedes wasn't using the correct stance, Leonie observed. She wasn't suited for handling bows, and Leonie couldn't help but feel sorry for the poor girl, whose strengths weren't being utilized.

By now, Lorenz had suffered a humiliating defeat. A blast from a horn signalled as much. He had been taken down by the Black Eagles led by Professor Eisner. He limped off the field, his pride more injured than his body. Leonie chuckled to herself. It sure felt good to see someone with such a high opinion of themselves get taken down a notch. But with Lorenz down, Claude's chances of winning the mock battle dwindled, and so his next move would have to be extremely well-calculated if he wanted to come out of this fight the victor.

* * *

"Hilda! I need you to guard our barricade! I told you this already! You said you understood!" Claude shouted frantically, nocking another training arrow on his bow before returning fire on the advancing Blue Lions students, namely Ashe and Dedue.

"Ugh! And like I already told you, like, there's nobody over there. Plus, it's much cooler here in the shade. I'm not prepared to tan out there in the sun, dummy."

"You're kidding," Claude groaned, turning his attention to the fighting at the centre of the field. Dimitri and Edelgard each traded blows, neither side showing any sign of giving up. He turned to Ignatz, who yelped in surprise as an arrow fired from Ashe's bow barely missed him before he was able to hide behind a large tree. "Alright Ignatz, seeing as how I don't hear you complaining, I'm gonna need you to keep an eye out for the rest of the Black Eag-" just then a voice rang out from nearby, and Claude hushed himself in time to hear,

"_No obstacle can stop Ferdinand von Aegir; stand aside, Professor, I'll clear a path!" _

**_CRACCKKK_**

In the distance, several more horns blared. But they were less critical sounds to Claude and his allies than that of their precious defensive structure being destroyed. The wooden planks splintered into pieces, and in that moment, who came marching through was Ferdinand and Byleth, each firmly clutching training swords as they flanked Claude's position within seconds.

Claude stumbled back at first, but he quickly regained his bearings and let fly an arrow that narrowly missed Ferdinand's right leg.

"Teach, if you would've told me that you were coming over with company, we could've fixed up this place a little nicer for you," he smirked as he spoke, waving his hand around in an attempt at misdirection. "I would hate to be called a poor host, especially for such esteemed guests."

Ignatz, from his position near the edge of the treeline, was lining up a shot at the intruders. He looked on, uncertain of who he should prioritize taking down first.

Byleth's intuition from her time as a merc alerted her to the petty tactic Claude meant to employ. She turned to her ally.

"Ferdinand?"

"Yes, Professor?"

"Someone is hiding in the forest. Flush them out; I'll deal with these two."

Byleth's emotionless stare never left Claude as she stepped to the side and avoided a wooden axe swing from Hilda. The pink-haired girl grumbled out loud.

"Aw, c'mon! That's **so** annoying. I thought you were totally open there!"

A quick swing of Byleth's weapon struck solidly against Hilda's side, causing her to yelp in pain. Only two more hits and she would be declared defeated, Byleth mused. Not losing focus, she jumped back as Hilda swung her axe in an upwards arc, missing Byleth by a large margin.

Claude looked around the field as he nocked another arrow. Surely Professor Manuela would arrive to reinforce them any second now. Where was she?

The horn went off once more.

Claude's heart sank as he saw Dimitri and his compatriot, Dedue approaching from the north, with him caught in the middle. Manuela had opted to hold her northern position and let her students form their strategies, as had Professor Hanneman. At this moment, Claude wished that Byleth had chosen the same thing. It would've been so much easier to outsmart Dimitri and Edelgard and whatever students they brought along. Having an experienced combatant on the field was educational, but unfortunate for Claude's Golden Deer, which were now just him, Hilda and maybe Ignatz; if he could stay away from Ferdinand.

Hilda wound up another massive swing and brought her axe crashing down upon Byleth. The Professor blocked, but the force of the swing was too much for her unprepared defensive posture. She gritted her teeth and tried in vain to hold up her guard.

"This is it!" thought Claude. While Byleth's sore and shaken arms held up her weapon to keep Hilda at bay, Claude had a perfect opening. He drew back his bow and fired, landing a clean shot on the Professor. The blunt-tipped arrow didn't serve to hurt Byleth much, but that was one less hit Claude needed to take her out of the mock battle.

Byleth's strength finally gave out, and Hilda's axe crashed down onto her shoulder. She knew she only had one hit left before she would be considered defeated. But she was so close! She had been paying attention to how many blares of the horn had already gone off. She hadn't counted on Hubert and Edelgard being eliminated. But it had just turned out that way—seven blasts of the horn, seven eliminated combatants. Dorothea was hanging back, just as Byleth had instructed. Her part to play would soon arrive. But to succeed, she could not afford to let either Hilda or Claude land a single hit on her.

* * *

"Well, it sure isn't looking good for us, is it?" Leonie said aloud, frustrated with the silence of her fellow non-combatants, who once again ignored her. She kept trying to start up engaging conversations, but no one else around her seemed to be interested. At the very least, Lorenz hadn't said much since joining them on the sidelines. He muttered to himself repeatedly but refused to look at any of his fellow students in the eye. It was the muttering that got on Leonie's nerves finally, and she snapped.

"Alright, listen here. Nobody cares about or thinks lesser of you just because you acted like a dumbass out there. Put it behind you. And by the Goddess, will you please stop whimpering like an injured hound!" she said in a less-than-friendly tone.

"I will excuse your rudeness this once, commoner. But in the future take care how you address the great Lorenz Hellman Glo-"

"Oh, like hell I will!" Leonie interrupted, her outburst drawing stares from the other students. "You need to get off your high horse there, pal. We're all equals here. When you ever learn as much, maybe you'll be able to win a fight."

"...As if I could expect someone of your status to understand," growled Lorenz, his cheeks flushed with anger. "This battle, nay, this entire school is a waste of my time. I have serious responsibilities to look forward to, and swinging fake weapons at each other will hardly prepare me for them! I hope you all have a very nice day, like the ignorant lessers that you all are, but I will be retiring to my quarters." and with that, he marched away towards the monastery.

In the silence that followed, Leonie felt a tinge of guilt but justified herself internally. Maybe she had gotten carried away, but there's no doubt that she was far from the first person who thought Lorenz deserved a good outburst. He just couldn't take it because he was so pampered and obnoxious. Leonie looked around to see if any bystanders were giving her judgemental stares. She found only one person; Lysithea, who, completely stone-faced, gave her a discreet thumbs up in approval. Relieved, Leonie turned her attention back towards the field of battle.

At that same moment, the horns flared up again. And again, and again. A total of six times, they sounded. Within a few short minutes, a banner was raised.

The Black Eagle's.


	13. What happened in the Mock Battle

"Amazing move back there, Professor!"

"I didn't see it coming!"

"We are having the success. No doubts were had"

"My Teacher, I knew you would come through for us. I was wise to follow your plan."

"Did you see those other guys?! You destroyed them! It was **awesome**!"

Byleth was swarmed on all sides as the academy students and faculty proceeded up the hillside towards the monastery. Her Black Eagles beamed with pride, excited by their victory. Byleth swore she saw even Bernadetta looking cheerful.

A large hand tapped her shoulder.

"I saw how it went out there. Not bad, kid!"

"Jeralt!" Byleth turned around and smiled faintly at her father. It took some effort for her to force such an expression, but there was something about her achieved victory that made it much easier to smile. It felt good to be recognized for her efforts, and Edelgard had made sure each student thanked Byleth for her leadership. It wasn't like she had done everything out there, but then again, not everyone had a way to rewind time and learn from would-be future events. She smirked and leaned in as her father embraced her gently for a moment.

"Well, I knew I trained you right, kid. You might make a good teacher after all!"

"It's still too early to be saying things like that, you and I both know that."

Just then, Claude pushed his way through the cluster of students and came face to face with Byleth.

"You," he said, pointing towards Byleth, who looked at him confusedly.

"Either you're far more of a genius than I gave you credit for being, or there was something seriously wrong with that battle. How could you have planned for each move we made? It's unreal-**agh**!" he gripped his left arm and groaned. His bruised and slightly bloodied limb was not too seriously injured, but the reaction Claude gave was not fake. He was hurting.

Jeralt spoke up, seeing the boy in pain.

"You should get back to the nurse; you're in rough shape."

Over the tumult, Manuela's sing-song voice called out, "Ooh Claude...Where are you? Let's get those injuries looked after, shall we?"

Sighing, the Golden Deer leader turned to walk away but added before he did,

"There's something suspicious about this whole thing, Teach. Don't think I won't figure it out eventually. Next time, the Deer will be ready for you. Don't underestimate an outsider."

* * *

**During the Mock Battle, half an hour earlier**

* * *

If there were ever a perfectly applicable situation to the phrase being between a rock and a hard place, Byleth was in it. She was one hit away from elimination, and still had to deal with both Claude and Dimitri, and Byleth knew better than to underestimate them. Her plan to have Dorothea launch surprise magic attacks from Claude's flanks was going to fall through if she couldn't draw most of the attention here and now. The problem was having one hit left on her. Or was there something she could do about that...?

A pulse.

Somewhere deep in her chest, Byleth felt an ebbing and flowing of energy. It felt just like it had the last time she had experienced it. Colours flashed all around her, pulsating in negatives and varied hues. There was a ringing in her ears that lasted only a moment, and then all fell silent as the world around her faded into darkness.

As if on cue, the girl in the chair materialized out of thin air.

"How interesting to see you here," said Sothis, who stood up from her seat and slowly walked towards Byleth. "I suppose you are trying to turn back the hands of time for some reason? It had best be important, you know. I know not how your body will tolerate the strain of such power if you overuse it."

"Good thing I only need to use it once then."

She knew precisely which moment she needed to return to. It was a stretch, but having seen how her first plan played out, Byleth's perspective had changed. It was, likewise, time for a change in strategy. Her surroundings blurred, and the ringing in her ears started up again. In a moment, the world around her came back into focus. She felt an enormous pressure build up in her head, a headache no doubt caused by the strain on her body, as Sothis had warned. But she had finally arrived back at the start of the battle. All three sides stood at their respective starting points. And Byleth knew exactly what moves they were going to make mere minutes from now.

"Professor," said Edelgard beside her. "We are at your command. What are your orders?"

Byleth glanced into the distance, towards the direction from where Lorenz would soon charge.

"We need to get ourselves across the field and to that position there immediately," she said, pointing to the small forest where Claude and his forces would be.  
"Engage the first enemy you see and eliminate them with extreme prejudice. Then, we will take Claude by surprise while he is fighting off the Blue Lions at a distance. He will try to retreat into the forest. We'll split into two small groups, with one assaulting them directly, and the others flanking them through the forest, cutting off any escape routes Claude plans to use."

Edelgard looked puzzled for a moment, and behind her, Hubert muttered. But in the end, they all followed the orders they were given to the letter. The Black Eagles triumphed over the other two classes, without suffering a single elimination. Byleth never let Hilda land a single hit on her, and Claude was successfully cut off by Ferdinand and Dorothea in the forest as he tried to retreat. Dimitri and Dedue were the last to go down, by the hands of Edelgard and Hubert, no less. Their instructor, Professor Hanneman, surrendered and forfeited the mock battle as soon as he saw he was the last man standing. He had absolutely no desire to visit the infirmary and was all too happy to concede.

Byleth herself raised the banner of victory. She held it high so that all could see the symbol on it, a majestic black-feathered eagle, placed against the backdrop of rich crimson. The symbol of her class. Her Black Eagles.

* * *

Lorenz didn't attend the post-mock battle meeting Claude had called together. Neither did Professor Manuela, who "had a date." The leadership of the Golden Deer was left to Claude, and Claude alone. It didn't matter. This wasn't his first experience being left to fend for himself. It was his first experience dealing with this nagging feeling of deja vu, however. He had reviewed the entire battle in his mind, from start to finish. When that hadn't turned up anything crucial, he questioned the others. No one else had noticed anything that Claude hadn't. The whole ordeal frustrated Claude beyond reason.

"Actually, there is something odd," mused Lysithea, furrowing her brow.

"The floor is yours, youngster," Claude replied, drawing a death glare from Lysithea.

"It's the weirdest thing, too. I can't remember when I felt it, but I have a distinct feeling that at some point, I felt an immense drawing of magical power. I'd tell you more, but it doesn't even feel like a real memory."

"That's worth noting. I'll look into it, and I recommend you do the same when you have free time."

Lysithea crossed her arms.

"Bold of you to assume I have free time. Some of us actually study around here, if you haven't noticed."

"I've noticed all right. That's why I trust you to be able to find some interesting leads on this fake magic pulse memory stuff. I will be studying also. We'll have a church assignment next month, and I can't have us perform the same way we did today. This loss is on me, Deer. Until I prove otherwise, at least."

The bell rang, signalling bedtime hours for the academy. Claude thought it was best to pick up this conversation another time, and so dismissed everyone. Almost everyone, at least.

"Leonie, I have something else to say, for your ears only."

The redhead stopped, and she looked sideways at him, not sure what to expect. "Oh yeah? What's that?"

Claude made sure no one else was around before he spoke quietly.

"I want you to infiltrate the Black Eagle house next month."


End file.
